Boston frat raises money for pledge gender surgery

BOSTON (AP) — A college fraternity in Boston has raised more than twice the money needed to pay for gender transition surgery for a frat brother.

The Phi Alpha Tau fraternity at Emerson College began raising money for sophomore Donnie Collins early this month after his insurance company declined to cover his breast removal surgery. Their initial goal was $4,800, but donations had exceeded $17,000 by Wednesday afternoon, more than double the procedure's $8,000 price.

In a note posted this week with a thank-you video on YouTube, the 20-year-old Collins says the surgery with a Springfield plastic surgeon will be scheduled this week.

The fraternity's treasurer, Christian Bergren-Aragon, says he thinks a major reason the campaign caught on is because it defies the stereotypes of fraternities.